Tag: bookish

2020 Review Round Up

Lauren1 Comment

So no one asked for this, but I thought I’d do it anyway!

Especially since I haven’t reviewed all that many books this year.

The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall

This was the first book I reviewed in 2020. I loved it. A fun, quirky retelling of Sherlock Holmes if Sherlock was female…and a sorceress. I gave this book 5 stars.

Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips

Imagine the ancient Greek gods are alive and well in modern London. Now imagine they are just as terrible now as they were in ancient Greece. This book was just a solid meh. 3 stars.

Spy, Spy Again by Mercedes Lackey

A book with magic, demons, spies, and assassins? This Heralds of Valdemar book got 4 stars from me on Goodreads, though that may have been due to nostalgia. But still, 4 stars!

Thin Air by Lisa Gray

In this Jessica Shaw thriller, Jessica, a PI, heads to California to investigate why a photo of a missing person at three years old looks like her. I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads, but because I listened to the audiobook, well, just read the review.

Faith publish by Valiant Comics, written by Jody Hauser

Faith is a Trade Paper back of the first few issues of the Faith comic book which centers around a plus sized superhero. I really wanted to like this alot. But I ended up with solid meh feelings about it. 3 stars from me.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

This is the story of Bree, a high schooler, who after a personal tragedy, stumbles across the Legendborn at the college she is attending. I enjoyed this book. I gave it a 3.75 out of 5 stars.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

The story of two black sisters who grow up in the Jim Crow south, this story focuses on a lot of heavy themes, and it does it really, really well. I gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

A dragon is set to rise after a thousand years, and it wants to destroy the world. Can Queen Sabran survive her court long enough to stop it? This book was interesting, and a little to heavy on the political side for me. 3.75 out of 5 stars.

A Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

A new neighbor moves in. Patricia just has to convince the rest of her book club that he is, in fact, a vampire. To say I loved this book is an understatement. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

This is the story of Yadriel, a transgendered teen who just wants to prove to his family that he can be a real brujo. He never really counted on summoning Julien. This book was such a fun read. I gave it 4 stars.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

Addie makes a Faustian bargain to live forever, as a result, everyone forgets her. Until one days, someone remembers her. I cannot stop raving about this book. For sure my favorite of the year. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn

This is the story of Santa Claus. No really. It says so on the cover. This book was so heart warming and cute. I will be reading this every Christmas, for sure. 5 out of 5 stars.

Christmas Book Haul 2020

Lauren3 Comments

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah! I hope you had a wonderful holiday no matter how you celebrated it this year.

Especially this year.

My husband and I usually celebrate with family, but, like so many this year, we felt it safer to stay at home due to Covid. As a result, this year we spent the day in our pj’s watching the new Wonder Woman movie and eating all the yummy food. A nice, relaxing holiday.

Still missed our families though.

But I thought I would share the books I got/bought with gift cards for Christmas. This is a thing bloggers do, right?

From my amazing mother-in-law I received the following:

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

I love the premise of this. What happens when two ordinary college students get super powers? They don’t become the heroes in this book.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

January is the ward of Mr. Locke, feeling much like one of his artifacts. Until she finds a mysterious book. I love the way this book sounds, and asked for it on the recommendation of a friend. I hope it’s as good as she made it sound!

Time’s Convert by Deborah Harkness

If you like the All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness, you will love this. It’s the story of Marcus, set both in the past at the time of his being turned into a vampire set to the backdrop of the American Revolutionary War, to the present, where his lover is starting her own journey to immortality. I have already read this book, but I didn’t own it, and now the All Souls universe is complete again! Mwah ha ha ha.

From my bestie I received a gift card with which to purchase what I wished. And what I wished for was, naturally, books. I also received a gift card from that most wonderous of humans, my husband! His was so I could purchase books. Because he has met me.

Here are the books I bought with those gifty cards!

Peace and Turmoil by Elliot Brooks

Thirty years of peace have reigned over the lands of Abra’am. That may soon come to an end. I’m not gonna lie, I saw this on booktube and became intrigued. It sounds intriguing.

House of Dragons by Jessica Cluess

Five people compete, to the death, for a chance at the throne. Plus, dragons! Let’s be honest, they had me at dragons. But this kind of competition for the throne thing sounds interesting.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

When Laia’s brother is captured, she makes a deal with some rebels. They’ll get him out of prison if she agrees to go undercover and spy for them at an elite military school. Elias is attending that school, though he doesn’t want to. This book has been raved about, so I picked it up to see what all the excitement was about.

Artifical Condtion: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

It has a dark past—one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself “Murderbot”. But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more. I loved the first book and I am looking forward to seeing what this novella has in store for me.

Paradise Planet by Jesse Lonergan

To survive after crash landing on an alien planet, a vacationer must battle against a hostile environment, killer lizards, corporate bureaucracy, and the pessimism of her sole companion, the drug-addled captain of the ship. This graphic novel sounded interesting when I added it to my list of books I wanted back in November.

The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso

Deep within Gloamingard Castle lies a black tower. Sealed by magic, it guards a dangerous secret that has been contained for thousands of years. I loved the first two books I read by this author, so I had to pick this one up too.

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

People lived because she killed. People died because he lived. They both seek the same prize. This also came with all the acclaim, so let’s hope it lives up to the hype!

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Rosemary joins up with the crew aboard the spaceship Wayfairer. Then they get hired for a job tunneling wormholes to a far distant planet. After reading To be Taught, if Fortunate by the author I knew I had to pick this up. It just had to happen!

This Place: 150 Years Retold by Various

Explore the past 150 years through the eyes of Indigenous creators. These stories are journeys through Indigenous wonderworks, psychic battles, and time travel. See how Indigenous peoples have survived a post-apocalyptic world since Contact. This looks so cool! How could I not pick it up?

Point B (a teleportation love story) by Drew Magary

Set in a science fictional universe where climate change is fixed but people get killed via teleportation, a young woman named Anna Huff has to navigate her adolescence and a murder mystery. I liked The Postmortal enough to give the author another look. And I like what I see in this book.

This last book was given to me by my book club Secret Santa.

Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

The gigantic comet had slammed into Earth, forging earthquakes a thousand times too powerful to measure on the Richter scale, tidal waves thousands of feet high. Cities were turned into oceans; oceans turned into steam. It was the beginning of a new Ice Age and the end of civilization. Sounds like just the apocalyptic book I need!

What books did you get for Christmas?

Book of the Month- A Review

Lauren1 Comment

So let’s talk about Book of the Month.

A little background: Book of the Month is a monthly subscription box that is all about books! And all you get is the books you select! It’s a hardcover new release or early release for $14.99 each month, with $9.99 for each additional book. You can also skip the month you don’t want the books from.

I’ve heard about BOTM through bookish people of various mediums. But what really convinced me was my friend Erin, who also happens to be the leader of one of the book clubs I happen to have joined this year. And, of course, there was their cyber week sale. Also, a book I recommended for book club (that didn’t get picked because reasons, I’m really not bitter because the winning pick was so dang cute!) was one of the choices for BOTM for December.

So really it was three things that led to me finally deciding to go with BOTM.

Go me.

I joined on November 30th, my book shipped on December 2nd, on December 10th I got a notification that my book was out for delivery, and an email when it was delivered! So that was pretty awesome. When I got the email telling me that my book had shipped, they also said it would take a little bit longer than usual due to the high volume of packages sent during this holiday season. I appreciated the heads up, even if it was something I already knew.

It arrived wrapped in plastic, which I appreciate, as it protects the book from the elements if it has to be left on a porch or in another outdoorsy environment. I’ll be interested to see if this is something they continue.

They also included a little book that went over the history of BOTM, some stickers, and a bookmark. The stickers were so cute!

The book I picked was In a Holidaze by writing duo Christina Lauren. It’s a romance that features the use of a time loop, a la Groundhog Day (or my favorite episode of Stargate SG-1, if you know, you know).

The next month’s picks became available on December 27th, with me acquiring 1 credit on my account. Luckily, a book I wanted for January was in the mix, so I picked that up, as well as a past title for $9.99 that I had been wanting.

So far I am really liking Book of the Month. But time will tell if it holds up.

Do you use BOTM? What do you think of it?

Old Man’s War-A Book Review

Lauren1 Comment

Have I mentioned I’m in two book clubs? I haven’t. Well, let me correct that now.

I’m in two book clubs, because one just wasn’t enough. This newer one I’m in is geared more towards sci-fi/fantasy books, so naturally, I’m in love.

In November Old Man’s War by John Scalzi was selected as our read. And holy cow, what a ride.

The book follows John Perry, who decides to join the Colonial Defense Forces after turning 75 and the death of his wife.

It’s a riveting tale of life at the edge of space when everything out in space wants to kill you. And, quite frankly, you are a soldier whose job is to defend those that live out on said edge.

John Perry is just an average guy who signs up for service, and like everyone else, has no idea what exactly it is he is signing up for. He moves along through the world like your average guy. Nothing overly special about him. Which of course, makes him special.

He does make some good friends along the way. I liked Maggie, Alan, Thomas, Harry, and Jesse, aka the Old Farts. They all added something to the story and didn’t feel like filler characters the way some friends can do.

The tone changed a couple of times. The first half of the book was more light hearted and fun with more comedic moments that genuinely had me laughing out loud. The second half was darker, with higher stakes on Perry’s actions and relationships. Pacing was also divided, with the first half of the book taking its time to get you where you need to go, and the second half just moving you along quite quickly.

None of that detracted from the book at all. It feels like you have viewed two distinct parts of Perry’s time with the CDF and seemed like a natural progression of the story.

I really liked this book. I definitely liked it enough to want to read the rest of the books in the series. The next one may or may not be in my Amazon cart right now. 4 out of 5 stars.

12 Days of Christmas Book Tag

Lauren1 Comment

‘Tis the season…for a holiday book tag!

Yup, I decided to try my hands at a book tag. So I set to the Googles and stumble across this one on The Sassy Book Geeks page. It loosely based on this one from Lizzie Loves Books.

A 12 Days of Christmas Book Tag! As a Christmas enthusiast I had to do this tag.

Without further ado, let’s go!

On The First Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me: A Partridge in a Pear Tree.

The partridge stood alone in the pear tree. What is your favorite stand alone?

Sherlock Holmes as a woman…and a sorceress. I reviewed this one back in February and I loved it! Also, I don’t read many stand alones, and this was one of the few I did read that I loved.

On The Second Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me: Two Turtle Doves

Love is in the air! Who is your one true pairing?

Rohan and Sioned of The Dragon Prince trilogy! Their relationship is fire, quite literally.

On The Third Day Of Christmas, My True Love Sent to Me: Three French Hens

In the spirit of threes, what is the best trilogy you have ever read?

I couldn’t think of anything more timely, because I have just recently started reading the newer releases. This trilogy, released back in the 90’s, has everything, romance, political intrigue, fight sequences! Love it!

On the Fourth Day of Christmas, My True Love Sent to Me: Four Calling Birds

Since series usually consist of four or more books, what is your favorite series?

The Crown of Stars series by Kate Elliot is equal parts amazing world building and fantastic character development. I need to re-read these.

On The Fifth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me: Five Gold Rings!!!

One ring to rule them all! Who is your favorite villain/antagonist?

The scariest villains are the one’s that could exist in real life, and since Voldemort was essentially Hitler with magic. Yeah, scary dude.

On the Sixth day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me: Six Geese a Laying

Creation is a beautiful things. What is your favorite world/world building?

The Perilous Order of Camelot series has some of the best world building. I mean, it literally starts with the creation of the universe. Gotta love that!

On the Seventh Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me: Seven Swans a Swimming

Who needs seven swans when all it takes is one good animal sidekick? Who is your favorite animal sidekick?

Yfandes is one of my favorite sidekicks. She is a steadfast and sure, which is exactly what Vanyel needs in his life.

On the Eighth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me: Eight Maids A Milking

Milk is so 18th century. What book or series takes beverages/food to a whole new level?

I love the way the hobbits love food and drink. Mushrooms! Second breakfast!

On the Ninth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me: Nine Ladies Dancing

Dancing is just one skill of a lady. Who is your favorite kickass female lead?

Sarra from Exiles is a fantastic leading lady. She is intelligent and strong willed, but not unwilling to accept help from others.

On the Tenth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me: Ten Lords A Leaping

Who is your favorite leading lad?

Rohan loves books and really hates the High Prince. Not that he doesn’t deserve it. Did I mention he is also a prince?

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me: Eleven Pipers Piping

What is your favorite book or bookish this about music? (It can be about music, reference music a lot, etc.)

Vanyel wants nothing more than to be a bard and escape his father’s keep. Music is his life. His whole life. Here’s hoping he actually has the bardic gift.

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Drummers Drumming

What is your favorite book of the year?

This was by far my favorite book this year. And that ending. Oh my goodness that ending! This is a must read for anyone for sure.

How would you answer any of these questions? Let me know!

The Autobiography of Santa Claus – A Book Review

Lauren8 Comments

So I’m just gonna say it: This book is freaking adorable.

It really, truly is.

It follows the story of Santa Claus, from his humble beginnings as Nickolas the priest, to his later life as Father Christmas. It covers the course of about 1700 years so we get to see some of human history through his eyes. Which is fascinating!

His adventures take you all over Christendom, as Nickolas is a priest after all. And Santa does only go where the legend of Santa spreads. You watch as he encounters historical figures (most real, one or two not so much), places, and events. You see and experience these things through his eyes.

Now the book does shy away from some of the harsher realities that take place but also embraces others. Like the persecution of early Christians by the Roman empire. It’s not graphic though.

It’s very much a work of fiction but would stand up to some of the autobiographies I have read. It reads very much like a true story, and you find yourself getting swept up into the world of Saint Nickolas as a result.

I loved the way quiet way Nickolas moved through this world, just wanting to give gifts to those less fortunate than he. He was so determined to remain anonymous that he was well and truly shocked when gifts kept being given in his name.

His helpers are a ragtag bunch of interesting historical figures. From former slaves to warlords to priests to writers and many more! To give just one of them away would take the fun out of finding out for yourself.

You can tell Jeff Guinn, the author really did his research on various topics, religious beliefs, and peoples. He also happens to have a reference list in the back of the book just in case you wanted to doubt that he put in any research time on this book.

Cause he did.

And this book reads like a love letter to Santa Claus as a result.

To sum up, I truly loved this book. I thought it was well written and well researched. The characters were bright and vibrant. The world was colorful. The pacing was consistent throughout, which was nice. I can’t say it enough, I loved this book! 5 out of 5 stars.

What To Read-December 2020 TBR

Lauren1 Comment

Well, since I failed lasts month TBR by one book, lets see what I can do with this month’s TBR.

Maybe make it shorter?

Maybe read more books?

Maybe both?

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

Mistborn tells basically asks the question: What happens if the hero fails? 1000 years have passed since that happened and a new rebellion is rising, but will they succeed? This is one of the Hubs’ favorite books and he is excited for me to read it.

The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guin

Jeff writes a story about Christmas, and he gets some of it wrong. To the point where a very important person from up north wants to chat with him. One of my book clubs is reading this book this month, and it sounds adorable!

Dune by Frank Herbert

This classic sci-fi story has been around for a long time. The story of Paul Atreides, the planet Arakkis, and the Spice. Because, as you know, “he who controls the spice controls the universe”. This is another book club pick. But I’m only supposed to read half of it for the month, which suits me just fine, since I didn’t really like it the first time I read it.

How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason

Rory was supposed to inherit the throne, but her father was assassinated and her mother gave birth to a son. Now Rory is betrothed to a prince and uncovers a plot to overthrow him. This book sounds like a fun space opera read.

And I think those are all the books I’m going to put on my TBR this month. Lets see how I do. Hopefully I’ll do better this month than I did in November!

What I Read in November 2020

Lauren1 Comment

Well, here is my list of books I read this month. You’ll notice it’s quite short. It took me days to get through each book. Even the ones I loved.

It just wasn’t a good reading month for me.

I blame TicTok.

Also, how cool is Storygraph? I found out about it through Kristin Kraves Books. Much love to her for sharing this cool site with everyone.

So here, thanks to Storygraph, are my rather miserable stats for the month.

I love that I like to read adventurous books. Also, challenging books. And the one book I did not finish was challenging, for sure. I mean, I know that’s not what Storygraph means, but still, challenging.

I am really surprised with the pacing here, mostly because I don’t always pay as close attention to pacing as I should.

I’m assuming this breakdown will change in months I read more books. I read a variety of page lengths. Keeps ya sharp.

This website separates books into their different genres for you, and the books can have more than one genre, so that explains, while I read 5 books, the stats say I read 7. Even I got confused there for a minute.

And without further ado, here are the books I read this month!

Cursed by Thomas Wheeler, art by Frank Miller

This is the story of Nimue and the legendary sword of power. I loved this YA story. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of were the black and white illustrations. Sorry Frank. I gave this book 5 stars!

The Road Not Taken by Susan Rubin

The story of a widow who travels the space time continuum with a alien race known only as the Lost. I’m not gonna lie, I would barely say I read this book. I made it only 25 pages in before the writing style and easy acceptance of certain things just drove me bonkers and I quit. 1 out of 5 stars.

Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

When you turn 75 you are eligible to join the Colonial Defense Forces, and that’s just what John Perry does after visiting his wife’s grave for the last time. I read this book for book club #2 and I didn’t expect to enjoy it (or laugh) as much as I did. 4 out of 5 stars.

The Postmortal by Drew Magary

John Ferrell recieved “The Cure”, which means old age won’t kill him. Everything else still can. This was one of the most interesting books I read this year. It covers the social, economical, and environmental impact of what would happen if humanity all of a sudden never aged. I’m still thinking about this book days after I read it. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Defiant Heir by Melissa Caruso

Amelia and her mage-marked Falcon, Zaria, must head behind enemy lines into the kingdom of Vaskandar as they prepare for war. I love this series. I find the writing compelling and the magic system to be very unique. And for someone who doesn’t always like hugely political plots, I don’t mind them in this book. 4 out of 5 stars.

Bookish Gifts to Give This Holiday Season

Lauren1 Comment

Tis the season! Hooray!!! It’s time for snow and cold weather and wearing all the layers.

Unless you live in Texas like I do, then its not going to be any of those things.

But it’s still going to be the Holiday Season! Huzzah!

It’s also the time to stress out about what gift you are going to give that book lover in your life. But because they already have all the books, and you don’t want to buy them anymore lest their bookshelves collapse, I’ve prepared a list of items you might want to procure for your wayward bibliophile.

And I’m not gonna lie, all of these are off of Etsy. Support small businesses!

This candle that might just smell like a bookstore. And only $7 on Etsy!

This bookish t-shirt is fantastic! Who doesn’t love a good RBG quote? Plus it comes in sizes up to a 3XL! It’s $12-$17 (depending on the size) on Etsy.

Book Sleeves are amazing gifts for the book lover who can’t go anywhere without a novel of some kind! It protects the book from damage while in their bag. This one is on Etsy for $15-$17 depending on the size.

These Nancy Drew bookmarks are so cute! And who doesn’t need a way to both be nostalgic and hold their place at the same time? I found this on Etsy for $7.

I feel like this mug speaks the truth, and your own Book Dragon will agree. Etsy has this fabulous mug for $19.

These bath bombs are book related, so you can luxuriate in scents and feels based on your favorite books! Only $7 on Etsy.

This is only if you know your bibliophile wont shriek with rage at the sight of a damaged book. This one, btws, also works for the Star Wars fan in your life. Bonus points for the person who is both! This is on Etsy for $56.

Do you have an enamel pin lover in your life? This pin is perfect for them! Look how cute! Etsy. $10.

What about the sticker obsessed? How about these bookish stickers to help with their addiction? I found them on Etsy for $8!

Again, don’t give this to someone how hates damaged books! But look at the pretty! I found this wreath on Etsy for $25.

Who wouldn’t like to go out on a blind date with a book? With this you choose the genre and the recipient has no idea what they are getting. You could do this for yourself too! This was on Etsy for $10.

Every good library needs pretty bookends. How about these blue agate ones for your book lover? Check out this Etsy listing for $48.

I find this tote bag to be true. So will your book loving friend. Etsy has it for $20.

Does your book lover have a TBR cart? How about their fridge? These magnets to decorate it would be a great gift. Etsy has these for 47.50 to $16.50 depending on size.

Did you see anything you would want to gift? What about buy for yourself? I know I’m picking up the Book Dragon mug for myself.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue-A Book Review

Lauren4 Comments

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab.

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever—and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

I had heard people describing this book as their new favorite. That’s a lot to live up to. What if it was just mediocre? What if I found it to be terrible? What if it was so bad I had to DNF it? That’s a lot of “what if’s”. So, what did I think?

We see Addie’s life unfold in both the past and the present as the author chose to alternate between both. Addie was compelling when moving about the past figuring out how to navigate through the world right after her bargain was struck. She could have been a classic damsel in distress, but she manages to be smart when faced with trouble.

Addie in the present is lonely but has adapted to her situation. She is clever when it comes to knowing where to stay and how to feed herself. Not to mention clothing herself.

Luc is an fascinating villain. He is compelling and interesting. He is also very driven towards his goal.

Henry, as the only human who can remember Addie, is wonderful. He’s well written and interesting. He helps Addie really reconnect with the world while she does the same for him.

I found the world building was exquisitely done. The moments spent between the past and the present where brilliant.

The pacing was slow, but consistent. And I mean it when I say the pacing was slow. This is a slow read. Didn’t stop me from reading it in a day and a half though.

I don’t have anything negative to saw about this book, at all. In fact, I would go so far as to say that this is in my list of top ten favorite books. An enthusiastic 5 out of 5 stars.